We routinely hear that special interest groups exert outsize influence on legislation. Whether at the local, state or federal level, those industries with money to spend and lobbyists to hire are able to profoundly influence laws that govern us all. Though we might hear about this as a general area of concern, it is not often that we have specific examples of this playing out. One recent case in Oklahoma that made it all the way to the state Supreme Court did just that, revealing the power of certain moneyed special interest groups and the importance of an active judiciary to keep that power in check.

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matt Arnold answers the question: “What can you sue for in a personal injury case?”

Not long ago we wrote about the string of losses faced by consumer products giant Johnson & Johnson. The company had been on a streak, losing several cases in a row that set J&J back hundreds of millions of dollars. Unfortunately for those who have been injured by J&J products, that trend may now have ended, with the company securing an important win before a Missouri appeals court last month.

Charlotte Injury Lawyer Matt Arnold answers the question: “Do I have to pay taxes on a settlement or jury award in a personal injury case?”

Those in Florida who have suffered serious personal injuries due to the negligent or reckless action of doctors can rejoice after a recently issued state Supreme Court ruling. While other states debate passing new and more strict damage caps, those in Florida have come under intense fire from a skeptical judiciary. Though doctors, hospitals and insurance companies may complain, victims of medical malpractice and their advocates say the recent ruling tossing out damage caps is cause for celebration.

Most people take comfort when they see that a road has guardrails. The barriers are supposed to be there to save lives, keeping vehicles and the people inside of them on the roadways. Though guardrails have saved countless lives, trouble can occur in some cases when defectively designed or poorly tested guardrails are installed. Rather than serving as a kind of protection, the guardrails instead created added danger and, in some particularly gruesome cases, have claimed lives. To learn more about recent concerns involving guardrails, keep reading.

In a very sad case out of Illinois, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals recently decided that an employer could be held liable for the harm that one employee does to another even when the harm occurs outside of work. The decision is an important one not only for the family of the victim, but also for others who are harmed at the hands of a coworker. It’s hoped that the case, by making employers liable, also forces them to take their responsibility of ensuring employee safety seriously.

Everyone knows that drivers today face far more distractions than those decades or even several years ago. Though the cars themselves have grown more distracting, with DVD players, apps, maps and even in-car Wi-Fi, smartphones represent the most common and most alluring distraction to most drivers. The calls, texts, emails, internet, social media and multitude of apps can prove to be too tempting for many people to resist. This has led to an increase in fatal accidents, reversing a long downward trend. On a societal level it’s a problem in need of a solution, but on a personal or familial level it can be devastating.

Charlotte Injury Lawyer Matt Arnold answers the question: “What if I am unable to work following the accident, as a result of my injuries? Will I be able to recover my lost wages?”

Though it seems hard to imagine, thousands of people go to work each year and fail to make it home safely at the end of the day. These people are merely trying to earn a living and provide for their families, but due to some unexpected incident, almost always outside of their control, they end up losing their lives instead. Though it’s tragic this should occur at all, the hope is that it happens as little as possible. Unfortunately, a recent article in the New York Times indicates that fatal workplace accidents may actually be ticking back up, with final numbers from 2015 ranking highest since 2008.

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matt Arnold answers the question: How does the law of contributory negligence play a role in my case?

Even before Black Friday 2016 hit, personal injury attorneys across the nation (including ourselves) had enough cautionary tales to fill a book with the horror stories that routinely befall shoppers on the busiest shopping day of the year.

Though there are more and more conversations these days about the troubling impact race and gender can have on cases in the criminal justice system, the civil justice system is almost never mentioned. It might come as a shock to most people that race and gender would ever factor into something like personal injury cases, but, according to a recent Washington Post article, that’s exactly what happens. A victim’s race and gender can have a huge impact on the size of a personal injury settlement as attorneys and other experts rely on demographic averages to determine future earnings. To learn more about how race and gender can skew personal injury awards, keep reading.